Hot water heating system



April 30,1935. T. E. KING 1,999,906

HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM Filed March 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Shest l IN VENTOR THOMAS [5. KING A TTORNE Y5 April 30, 1935.

T. E. KING HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM Filed March 9, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

[N VE N T 0R THOMAS 5 KING %O..M F, @M 655;

I ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 30, 1935 mm STATES PATENT OFFICE HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM The pipe 6 carrying the'hot water from the boiler This invention relates to heating systems but more particularly to the; hot water type.

Oneo'f the objects of the invention is to provide he'atin'g apparatus of this type which is 5, simple 'and economical in construction, dependable and efficient in epe'ration, and in which the heater element may be located above the radiating coils.

Another object is to provide a system or this type in which the temperature and volume of flow of the water varywith the requirements.

Other objects, :general and particular, will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing ran illustrative embodi'men'tin 'which:- a

Fig. l is a diagrammaticalview of a heating system constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is :anenlarged detail sectional view of a tank of the system shown in Figure l.

The apparatus forming the :subject matter for the present invention will be referred to :as the percolator type in view or the similarity oraction to thewell known percolator in which water heated in a receptacle moves upwardly upon the formation of steam in such receptacle through a pipe lead-ing therefromand discharges into :an elevated receptacle from which it flows by gravity to perform its function. The particular function in the present instance is to supply this rho water to a radiating system.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 or the drawings, a hot water heater as 5 of suitable type is provided with the usual fire box and boiler. Leading upwardly from the top of the boiler is a hot water outflow pipe 6 which has its upper end connected to an elevated tank 1 which will hereinafter be referred to as the percolating tank.

This tank 1 is provided with a transverse partition 8 which divides it into an upper compartment 9 (Fig. 2) and a lower compartment I0, and the pipe 5 leads into the upper compartment near the top thereof. From this compartment 9 near its bottom leads a pipe H which conducts the hot water to the radiating system. The form and arrangement of this system will depend largely upon the space to be heated. The cool water returns from this system by a pipe I2 leading to a receptacle 18 associated with the tank, whence it flows into the lower compartment in of the tank 1 and then returns to the boiler of the heater by Way Of e p p Referring to Fig. 2, the tank I is of the vertical type, open at the top, and provided with a cover l5 bolted or otherwise fastened thereto.

communicates with the upper compartment 9 in the manner described and may be connected to the tank in any suitable manner as by a coupling It. From the opposite side of this compartment near the bottom thereof leads the hot water outflow pipe' ll which may also be connected to the tank in any suitable manner as by a coupling l'l. Within this compartment 9 is a steamfoutle't pipe 18 having its open upper end near the top preferably at the bottom thereof and, after passing about the coil i9, leaves the receptacle substantially at the top thereof through a pipe 25 and flows into the lower compartment Hi of the tank This pipe 2'5may be extended toward the bottom TOf the compartment. At the right or the compartment it. are shown a water'level gauge as 36, a safety valve as 3-! and an air vent as 32 communicating therewith. Water entering the compartment it! from the pipe 25 and condensed steam from the pipe 28 mix in the bottom of the tank 3 and flow back to the boiler through the pipe M. The portion of the apparatus so in described in detail will be hereina-r-ter referred .to as theppercolating system to distinguish it from the radiating system.

Referring again to Fig. l, the radiating'system in the present apparatus is shown in the lower right hand portion of the drawings. The construction and arrangement of this system will naturally be very materially varied according to the requirements, but the form here shown willserve to illustrate the general principles. This radiating system preferably operates by the thermo-syphon method of circulation. Warm water in the riser pipe 35 passes to the main distributing pipe 35 and then through leads as 3'|.t0 radiating units 38. The cool water from these. units 33 returns through leads 39 to the main return pipe 49 and then passes into the pipe 41. In order to provide a closed coil and thus obtain thermo-syphon circulation, the pipes 35 and 4| are connected by a pipe t2. It will be evident that differences in temperature of the water in difierent portions of this coil will cause a substantially continuous circulation therein.

Hot water from the percolating system is in- 7 end of the return pipe 4|.

condensed steam flowing from the pipe 20.

troduced into the radiating system through the pipe I l which is connected to the lower end of the riser pipe 35. At the same time cool water is withdrawn from this radiating system by means of the pipe l2 which is connected to the inner The pipes of the main coil, here designated 35, 36, 40, 4| and 42, are of larger diameter than the pipes II and I2 of the percolating system so that a relatively small quantity of very hotwater will be discharged by the pipe H into the relatively large quantity of cool water in the pipe 35.

In the operation of the heatingsystem, hot Water from the boiler of the heater 5 will move upwardly in the pipe 6 as soon as the water in the boiler has become sufliciently hot to cause steam to form therein and to collect at the top of such boiler. ence in weight of the columns of water inthe pipes 6 and I4 due to the presence of the steam bubbles in the pipe 6, the pipe I4 being completely filled with water. The water and the steam passing upwardly therewith enter the compartment 9 of the tank I Where the water falls to the bottom of this compartment. The steam entering this compartment passes into the open upper endof the pipe I 8 and then downwardly in this pipe to the receptacle l3 where it passes through the coil 19, in which itis condensed by the action of the cool water circulating through this receptacle. The condensed steam flows from the coil I9 through the pipe 20 into the lower compartment IU of the tank 1.

The hot water deposited in the compartment 9 of the tank in the manner described flows downwardly through the pipe II to the radiating coil. At the same time, the cool water returning through the pipe l2 enters the receptacle I 3 and overflows therefrom through the pipe 25 into the lower compartment IU of the tank I. It is this returning cool water which acts to condense the steam in the coil l9 and at the same time the coil acts to partially reheat this cool water which is somewhat further reheated by mixing with the The partial reheating of the water prior to its return to the boiler through the pipe I4 is advantageous as this Water does not reduce the temperature of the water within the boiler as greatly as would be the case if the water in the pipe [2 were directly returned thereto. This enables steam to form more frequently within the boiler with the same amount of heat from. the fire box and thus This may result from the differa greater flow of hot water is provided to the radiating system for the amount of fuel used. The length of the intervals between periods of flow of hot water into the compartment 9 depends mainly on the temperature of the water returning to the boiler and the intensity of the heat supplied to the boiler by the fire box. Although the flow of wamr within the percolating system is periodic, the thermo-syphon circulation in the radiating coil is practically continuous and a substantially even heat is delivered to the space to be heated. It will be evident that in a combined system such as described, the temperature and volume of flow of the water in the radiating system will vary with the requirements. The entire apparatus is simple, durable and economical in construction anddependable and eflicient in operation. The heater may be located above the radiating coils and this is often advantageous.

As many other embodiments of the apparatus may be made without departing, from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein set .forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as--illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

In a hot water heating system, a heater, a tank located above said heater, a transverse partition in said tank dividing the tank into upper and lower compartments, means for conducting hot water and steam from the top .Of ISaid heater to said upper compartment; andmeans for con ducting hot water from said upper compartment, a receptacle associated with said tank, a steam collecting pipe leading from said upper compartment to said receptacle, a condensing coil in said receptacle connected to said steam collecting pipe and leading to said lower compartment, a, cool water return pipe leading to said receptacle, a pipe leading from said receptacle to said lower compartment to carry the water to said lower compartment after it has passed about said coil and been partially heated by heat exchange therewith, the outlet of said return pipe being below the inlet of said means for conducting hot Water from said upper compartment, and anoutflow pipe leading from said lower compartment to carry the partially heated water therefrom to said heater below said outlet.

THOMAS E. KING. 

